HSCI Success Factors: Built By the Community, For the Community, From the Community
The all-volunteer HSCI team has developed a strong culture of corporate management and selfless community service, supported by due processes and succession planning in these areas:
Governance
Sound governance under an experienced Board of Directors.
Leadership
Management & functional leadership, many drawn from the ranks of HSCI graduates, working with defined goals and a formal management processes.
Partnerships
Strong Partnerships with academic institutions, interfaith best practices, and country mentors to help with recruitment, and training.
Network
Emerging Global Network of Hindu chaplains and counselors connected for knowledge and guidance sharing through the HCRC.
We Thrive With Cooperation: Shared Vision
GTU-HSCI Affiliation Academic
The partnership with the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, CA provides academic rigor and interreligious chaplaincy training pathways for HSCI scholars.
MJF-HSCI Fellowships Financial
The Motwani-Jadeja Foundation (MJF) provides fellowships that make the Hindu Chaplaincy Pathway financially accessible to aspiring chaplains.
Diaspora Country Mentors Global Network
Country mentors across the United States, India, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and the Philippines help with recruitment, training, and building local spiritual care networks.
HSCI Centers for Learning and Serving: Courses and the Knowledge Assets
by Usha Narasimhan, LLB, MBA, ICP & CHT
The rapid growth and success of HSCI reflect the increased worldwide awareness of the importance of spiritual care. We identify this in 1) the increasing enrollments in HSCI's graduate certificate courses and 2) the number of HSCI graduates who go on to enroll in GTU's inter-religious chaplaincy course; we nourish the growth with the size and currency of HSCI's knowledge assets through the Hindu Chaplaincy Resource Center (HCRC).
The HSCI Graduate Certificate Courses: Please visit www.hsciglobal.org for detailed information about the HSCI course. In its sixth year, the twenty-four-session CHT course equips professionals from all fields to serve their communities in volunteer positions at various religious and interfaith institutions. Many CHTs return to serve in functional and teaching positions at HSCI. The course includes several sessions on Hindu tenets and Bhagavad Gita.
The two cornerstones of HSCI are Karma yoga, or selfless service, and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a worldview of collective well-being. On graduation, scholars take an oath to serve selflessly in multi-culturally diverse communities -- service to all.
With Hindu Chaplaincy Resource Center (HCRC), HSCI aspires to build and maintain a global knowledge reserve for chaplaincy students and practitioners from all countries. The objective is to create a permanent network of chaplains and counselors worldwide who can contribute and utilize the knowledge assets, technology, and mentoring associated with HCRC.
Whether it be an aspirant to chaplaincy education in Canada, a student of chaplaincy education in Australia, or a practicing chaplain in South Africa, all can seek and find answers.
HCRC has four major functions within it: 1) a library that archives various reference books and publications, 2) a growing collection of case studies contributed by members and other traditions, 3) tele chaplaincy technology and architecture applicable worldwide, and 4) a system of publications and monthly seminars on contemporary topics related to spiritual care.
Over the last several years, HSCI has judiciously developed its academic programs and is now applying for accreditation as a global training institution. This will further strengthen HSCI's various functions and attract and engage more highly qualified faculty and spiritual care aspirants from all countries.